2023’s Joy Ride is an R-rated comedy starring an ensemble of Asian-American actors, and its resonance with audiences has already created demand for any Joy Ride 2 news. Adele Lim co-wrote the story for the movie, and the director of Raya and the Last Dragon makes the leap to directing live-action with Joy Ride as well. If a sequel to 2023’s Joy Ride is greenlit, Lim could conceivably work on the story and be in the director’s chair again for Joy Ride 2.
Joy Ride stars Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Sabrina Wu, and Stephanie Hsu as four friends who go on a road trip through China (and South Korea) to find one of their birth mothers. The Joy Ride cast was incredibly well put together and is almost justification alone for a follow-up in Joy Ride 2 to take the same characters to a new location. With a raunchy comedic style in the vein of The Hangover or Bridesmaids, the ensemble story is ripe for sequel ideas. It feels like only a matter of time before Joy Ride 2 is greenlit.
Most Recent Joy Ride 2 News
The most recent Joy Ride 2 news is really about its predecessor. Joy Ride (2023) has earned rave reviews from critics and audience members alike, making a sequel for the movie a strong possibility. Prior to its release to the public, Joy Ride already had a “fresh” Rotten Tomatoes rating thanks to its premiere at SXSW in March 2023. Following its release in theaters, the movie is “certified fresh” as well.
The success of Joy Ride at the box office proves, much like Bridesmaids did, that raunchy comedies centering on female cast members work. Raunchy comedies, more often than not, center on male ensembles instead. Joy Ride and Jennifer Lawrence’s No Hard Feelings were released in the middle of 2023, and the success of both marks a new chapter of success for the genre. A Bridesmaids sequel was never made, though movies like The Hangover got two. Joy Ride 2 could pave the way for more female-driven comedies to get sequels, especially since the road-trip premise mixed with a lesser-seen location like China could easily be replicated in a new locale.
Is Joy Ride 2 Confirmed?
Joy Ride 2 is not yet confirmed. Given the critical and audience reception to it, however, it would be a good move for the team behind the movie to pitch a sequel. If Joy Ride 2 is made, there probably won’t be a lot of information about a Joy Ride 2 release date right away. The 2023 Writers Guild of America’s strike is ongoing as writers work to negotiate fair pay for streaming projects and new contract terms as studios want to incorporate more Artificial Intelligence into scriptwriting. The Screen Actors Guild is also on strike after negotiations with producers and studio heads fell through for them as well, again with sticking points on a lack of payment for using an actor's likeness in CGI and in payment for residuals. Without a script or actors, it’s hard to say when Joy Ride 2 would be made.
Joy Ride 2 Cast
Given that the four main actors in Joy Ride play friends who take annual trips together, it only makes sense that the same four actors would return for the Joy Ride 2 cast. If the movie follows from the teases at the end of Joy Ride, it stands to reason that Stephanie Hsu’s Kat would have a larger role in the story as well as Desmond Chaim, who plays her fiancé. In addition to Hsu and Chaim, Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, and Sabrina Wu as Audrey, Lolo, and Deadeye would be a must.
Beyond those five Joy Ride cast members, the rest of the cast will be up in the air depending on the roles needing to be filled. Considering the comedic style of the first movie, A Joy Ride (2023) sequel would also need actors with comedic chops. If the filmmakers continue to make the sequel with a predominantly Asian cast as well, it would only work to increase the representation of the Asian community in Hollywood.
Joy Ride 2 Story
Joy Ride’s ending actually perfectly teases a potential Joy Ride 2 story. After the events of the film end, the annual trips of the group of friends are teased with a look at their trip to Paris the next year. That means that the next movie could easily focus on the group’s next annual vacation together. Of course, it doesn’t have to focus on that specific trip either. The Joy Ride 2 story could even skip ahead a few years to another trip. There’s a world of possibilities for locations for their next outing together.
There’s also a line in the movie that could make the annual trip double as a bachelorette party. In Joy Ride, Stephanie Hsu as Kat mentions her bachelorette party at one point in the movie. Bachelorette party movies are ripe for raunchy comedy in the same vein as Joy Ride. There are all manner of mishaps that could be caused by a big party with the trope of free-flowing alcohol. A bachelorette party would also be a great way to expand the cast beyond the four main actors, bringing even more comedic talent into Joy Ride 2.